REM sleep behavior disorder is in fact a form of parasomnia that causes a person to enact their dreams which make them then move their limbs in the same way that they are doing in their dreams. Some of these dreams can lead a person to begin flailing their arms and legs in a manner that will make these REM sleep behavior disorder episodes result in the individual even hurting themselves as well as their bed partners.

Dream Stage

REM is the short form of ‘rapid eye movement’ which describes the last stages of a person’s sleep which is also referred to as dream stage. In this phase, a person starts to dream of things and at the same time can often also become paralyzed which will then cause the body to shut down its normal functions. When REM sleep behavior disorder episodes take place the person is not affected by paralysis and this explains why in REM sleep behavior disorder episodes an individual can continue doing physical type of actions.

Because REM sleep only occurs about an hour to ninety minutes after having fallen asleep the REM sleep behavior disorder episodes will also only begin after this much time has elapsed. What’s more, different people experience varying degrees and numbers of REM sleep behavior disorder episodes with some experiencing the episodes each night while others might only experience these episodes once in seven days or perhaps even more infrequently.

However, it is necessary that you be able to distinguish REM sleep behavior disorder episodes from sleepwalking and talking in the sleep as well as sleep terrors. What’s more, REM sleep behavior disorder episodes are also not the same as seizures that occur at night and these episodes are also distinct than limb movements that occur periodically though at the same time it must also be mentioned that during REM sleep behavior disorder episodes a person can experience sleepwalking and other similar forms of night movements.

Often, REM sleep behavior disorder episodes begin in a mild manner and nobody will even notice these episodes until and unless they become more violent and noticeable. These REM sleep behavior disorder episodes are also distinct than sleep terror disorders. The latter form of sleep disorders are generally reported by friends as well as by family members who notice that an individual wakes up from sleep and will act very frightened and will also appear to be very scared as well. This kind of sleep disorder is however in fact also another form of parasomnia.

Though REM has nothing to do with rock music, a popular rock band has nevertheless adopted these three letters into their name and have in fact become very popular as well. This has led many people to believe that REM refers to music though in fact the letters REM stand for ‘rapid eye movement’ which does not have anything to do with music but has to do with a normal state of sleep.

What It Means

REM sleep in an adult means that about twenty-five percent of the total stage of sleep is spent by a person in a state in which between an hour and a half to two hours is spent experiencing certain specific motions. In fact, during a night of sleep a person can and will experience between four and five such periods that are referred to as REM sleep which start off in shorter bursts in the beginning and become longer as the night wears on.

The question that arises is that is there anything that can be considered as being a cure for REM sleep disorder? The fact is that this is something that a team working at Canada’s University of Toronto seems to be implying. According to them a cure for REM sleep disorder can be found and their findings have in fact been published in a publication known as the Journal of Neuroscience. This supposed cure for REM sleep disorder seems to relate to the disorder (neurological) in which a person twitches violently and during REM the muscles too start to contract that in some instances can lead to the person acting in a manner that will cause them to injure themselves as well as others.

The person behind this supposed cure for REM sleep disorder is none other than John Peever who is an Assistant Professor at that Canadian University and who has also come up with a finding regarding a chemical that is found in the brain that is known as glycine which supposedly can inhibit these muscle contractions.

According to these people, the cure for REM sleep disorder lies in connecting glycine levels with the violent contractions of muscles that take place during REM. The cure for REM sleep disorder is based on the fact that glycine, an amino acid that is found in proteins and also in abundance in collagen can control the muscle contractions. Till these findings are proven the world has little option than to wait with bated breath regarding the truth of whether a cure for REM sleep disorder has indeed been found.

It also pays to learn more about the dangers of REM sleep disorders. According to specialists, these dangers include being at risk of developing degenerative diseases of the brain.

Doctors and the scientific community are still trying to figure out what the exact causes of REM sleep behavior disorder are. What is known however is that this condition will generally occur along with other degenerative disorders (neurological) conditions including Parkinson’s Disease and multi-system atrophy as well as a few other conditions that are only known to the medical community? Even though some information is known to medical professionals regarding the precise cause of REM sleep behavior disorder, in as high as fifty-five percent of cases the causes are still unknown while in the remaining forty-five percent of cases the reasons ascribed to causing REM sleep behavior disorder include alcohol as well as withdrawal (sedative-hypnotic).

Parkinson’s Disease

However, before the onset of REM sleep behavior disorder, a person is more likely to already have developed cases of REM sleep disorders and according to some studies it was estimated that as many as thirty-eight percent of people studied also developed Parkinson’s Disease after having developed REM sleep behavior disorder.

The symptoms of REM sleep behavior disorder include acting in a way that suggests that the patient is enacting their dreams and these acts often turn out to be violent and can lead to self-injuries as well as injuring the bed partner. However, the behaviors (dream enacting) is not directed at anyone or anything in particular though it does involve that the patient indulges in punching and kicking as well as leaps and even jumps in their bed during their sleep.

In case, you notice such behaviors in someone you know, or God forbid, it occurs to you, it is necessary that you act without delay and seek medical help. The fact of the matter is that people that suffer from REM sleep behavior disorder can be at higher risk of causing them as well as others injuries and so early treatment is recommended.

Some of the things that you can do in order to protect a person suffering from REM sleep behavior disorder include removing dangerous objects from their bedrooms, clearing furniture and other objects that can cause harm to the patient. Also, you should try and make the patient sleep on the mattress or even place cushions around their beds.

Sometimes, REM sleep disorder treatment requires dosing the patient with medications. Typically, this might mean that you give the patient Clonazepam that has been found to be very effective in treating these disorders and in fact, success rates have been reported as being extremely high.

Tiredness can cause REM sleep disorder. What’s more, in case a person is able to sleep soundly and also gets enough sleep it means that they will be in a better position to enjoy better health. It is well known that the more sleep a person gets the better is the chances of enjoying good health and so whenever adequate sleep is robbed off a person it results in different ailments including chronic forms of tiredness and poor functioning of the immune system as too development of neurological related disorders.

A Complicated Matter

The simple truth is that sleep is not such a straightforward act and it is in fact a lot more complicated than you and I can even realize. When a person sleeps it leads to giving the brain sufficient time to rest and also perform a few necessary tasks. The more common forms of sleep include REM as well as NREM with the latter being sub-divided into four distinct stages.

REM sleep disorder occurs when a person cannot enjoy normal REM or Rapid Eye Movement. In fact, whenever a person during their sleep develops an increase of blood pressure as well as quickened eye movement that along with irregular breathing and loss of muscle tone (or, paralysis) will cause them to suffer from REM sleep disorder.

REM sleep disorder makes the sufferer wake up in a tired state of mind and they will also experience low energy levels and concentration too becomes poor while finishing daily routine tasks too become harder to achieve. What’s more, REM sleep disorder leads to disruption in relationships between the sufferer and their family members as well as friends.

REM sleep disorder also included certain severe instances of neurodegenerative disease including the dreaded Parkinson’s disease. Typically, symptoms of a REM sleep disorder include behaving as if you are still in a dreamlike state and in certain instances leads to violent behavior with possibility of also acting in a manner that results in causing harm to the self as well as to the bed partner.

All this means that persons suffering from a REM sleep disorder must be treated at the earliest. Fortunately, there are enough known remedies available that help to control the condition that is also referred to as REM sleep behavior disorder. Of course, these remedies need to be continued virtually indefinitely so that chances of relapse are minimized.

The key to success with treating REM sleep disorder lies in early diagnosis as well as suitable and timely treatment without which chances of the condition turning chronic will increase leading to further discomforts and hardships.